Valve



Feb. 27, 1951 G. A. GoEPFRlcH VALVE Filed Jan. 5, 1946 NVENTOR.

BY A

Patented Feb 27, 1951 VALVE Y George AQGoepfrich, Stamford, Conn.,assigner, by mesne assignments, to The Skinner Chuck Company, accrporationoi" Connecticut Application January 3, 1946, Serial No.638,719

reduction in retraction rate, the rate of flow oi l hydraulic fluid tothe retracting means is decreased.

An object of this invention is an inexpensive and eiiicientsolenoid-actuated valve suitable for use in hydraulically-operatedlanding gear retracting means to eiiect reduction in the iiow ofhydraulic fluid as the landing gear approaches its l'mit of retraction.

Other objects, novel features and advantages oi this invention willbecome apparent from the following specification and accompanyingdrawings, wherein:

Fig. l is a plan view of a valve embodying the invention, and

Fig. 2 is a section on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1.

A casting It has a cylindrical bore l! and two tapped sockets i2 and i3,the inner ends of which communicate with the bore li. A cylindricalliner or housing i4 lits the bore ll and is held in place by a bushingi5 threaded into the casting lil and engaging the end of the liner.Suitable sealing members l5 are provided for preventing liquid i'iowbetween the liner and the interior of the casting il). The liner lli isprovided with peripheral grooves il and I8 of which i? communicates withthe socket i2 and S8 communicates with the socket i3. Radial aperturesis and 2li in the liner It provide communication between the grooves Vland i8 and the interior of the liner.

A shirted valve plunger 2l is slidably mounted in the liner lll and theskirt is provided with a peripheral groove 22 which communicates withthe intlrior of the skirt through a restricted aperture 2S. The plunger2i has extending there from a stem 2d which lor a distance is of lessdiameter than the interior of the liner and terminates in a magnetichead of the same external diameter as the interior diameter of theliner. Apertures 2t provide passageways for liq" uid now into or out ofthe sleeve 2 l.

The head 2li constitutes the armature of a solenoid having an energizingcoil 2i contained within a cap 23 fitting over a boss on the casting it.The bushing l5 supports a non-magnetic sleeve 6 Claims. (Cl. 138-46) 23receiving the head 25 and to the outer end of which is braz-ed orsoldered a magnetic core 3i) between which and the head 25 is arrangedan expansion spring 3l. The cap 28 is supported by the core 3U yand isattached thereto by means of the nut 32.

With the solenoid de-energized, the valve sleeve 2l is biased into theposition shown in Fig. 2 by the spring 3|. In this position, the socketl2 is in full communication with the socket i3 and liquid may ilowfreely in either direction. Upon energization of the solenoid, thearmature 25 is moved against the action of the spring 3l into a positionin which the sleeve valve 2! spans the apertures I9. The liquid dowbetween the ports I2 and I3 is now cut 01T except by way of the aperture23 so that only a very restricted amount of liquid may iiow from oneport to the other. This condition remains as long as the solenoid isenergized, but upon de-energizaton of the solenoid, the sleeve valve isreturned to the position shown in Fig. 2by the spring 3|.

It is of course understood that various modifications may be made in thevalve structure above described without in any way departing from thespirit of the invention as deiined in the appended claims.

It is further to be understood that the valve herein described isadapted for other uses than the example hereinabove referred to.

I claim:

1. An hydraulic valve mechanism comprising a cylindrical housing havinglongitudinally spaced radially directed inlet and outlet ports in thewalls thereof, a hollow cylindrical liner within said housing having aperipheral groove communicating with one of said ports, and radialapertures communicating with said peripheral groove and the interior ofsaid liner, said ports, groove and apertures being adapted to permit apredetermined maximum rate of flow of fluid through said housing, meansfor controilably but partially reducing ysaid maximum rate of flowcomprising a hollow cylindrical sleeve tting the inner wall of saidliner and slidably mounted for movement over said apertures bylongitudinal movement in said liner, said sleeve having a peripheralgroove in its outer wall and a radially directed port communieating withthe latter groove and the interior of said sleeve but substantiallysmaller in dimension than said apertures, said groove in said sleevebeing adapted to overlie said apertures when said sleeve is in alongitudinal position covering said apertures, said apertures beinguncovered by said sleeve in another longitudinal position of said seeve.

2. A mechanism as in claim 1, including spring-biasing means biasingsaid sleeve to the second-mentioned position.

3. A mechanism as in claim 2, including electromagnet means for movingsaid sleeve to said first position against the biasing force of saidspring to reduce said maximum rate of flow.

4. An hydraulic valve mechanism comprising a hollow, cylindrical housinghaving longitudinally spaced radially directed inlet and outlet ports inthe walls thereof, a hollow cylindrical liner fitting the inner wall ofsaid housing and having peripheral grooves each communicating with oneof said ports and radial apertures communicating with said peripheralgrooves and the interior of said liner, said ports, grooves, andapertures being adapted to permit a predetermined maximum rate of flowof fluid through said housing, means for ccntrollably but partiallyreducing said maximum rate of flow comprising a hollow cylindricalsleeve fitting the inner wall of said liner and slidably mounted formovement -over the said apertures communicating with one of said groovesby longitudinal movement in said liner, said sleeve having a peripheralgroove in its outer Wall and a radially directed port communicating withthe latter groove and the interior of said sleeve but substantiallysmaller in dimension than said apertures, said groove in said sleevebeing adapted to overlie said apertures communicating with said one ofsaid grooves when said sleeve is in a longitudinal position covering thelatter apertures, the latter apertures being uncovered by said sleeve inanother longitudinal position of said sleeve.

5. A mechanism as in claim 4, including spring-biasing means biasingsaid sleeve to the second-mentioned position.

6. A mechanism as in claim 5 including electromagnetic means for movingsaid sleeve to said rst position against the biasing force of saidspring to reduce said maximum rate of flow.

GEORGE A. GOEPFRICH.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,145,128 Ekonomcu July 6, 19151,453,513 Metz May 1, 1923 1,820,653 Ernst Aug. 25, 1931 1,903,757Florido Apr. 18, 1933 2,217,141 Sprenkle Oct. 8, 1940

